Consolidated Statement of Shareholders' Equity Statement - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Ordinary Shares [Member]	Special Voting Shares [Member]	General Partner [Member]	Restricted Exchangeable Unit [Member]	Common Stock Including Additional Paid in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Special Voting Shares [Member]	Broadcom Cayman L.P. [Member]	Broadcom Cayman L.P. [Member] General Partner [Member]	Broadcom Cayman L.P. [Member] Limited Partner [Member]	Broadcom Cayman L.P. [Member] Partnership REUs [Member] Limited Partner [Member]	Broadcom Cayman L.P. [Member] Common Stock Including Additional Paid in Capital [Member]	Broadcom Cayman L.P. [Member] Common Stock Including Additional Paid in Capital [Member] General Partner [Member]	Broadcom Cayman L.P. [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Broadcom Cayman L.P. [Member] AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]
Ordinary Shares, Shares, Outstanding (shares)						254,000,000									254,000,000
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity						$ 2,009	$ 1,284	$ (50)		$ 0	$ 3,243				$ 2,009		$ 1,284	$ (50)
Special voting shares outstanding										0
Noncontrolling interest									$ 0
Partners' Capital Account, Units														0		0
Partners' Capital														$ 0		$ 0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 3,243
Issuance of ordinary shares in connection with equity incentive plans						8,000,000									8,000,000
Issuance of ordinary shares in connection with equity incentive plans, value	241					$ 241					241				$ 241
Share-based compensation	237					237					237				237
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation	130					$ 130					130				$ 130
Cash dividends declared and paid to ordinary shareholders	(408)						(408)				(408)						(408)
Issuance of ordinary shares upon conversion of Convertible Notes,						14,000,000									14,000,000
Issuance of ordinary shares upon conversion of Convertible Notes, value	(75)					$ (75)					(75)				$ (75)
Fair value of partially vested equity awards assumed in connection with the acquisition of Emulex Corporation	5					$ 5					5				$ 5
Other comprehensive (income) loss, pension and other postretirement benefit plans, adjustment, net of tax	(23)							(23)			(23)							(23)
Net income (loss) attributable to ordinary shares	1,364						1,364										1,364
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0								0
Net income (loss)	1,364										1,364
Ordinary Shares, Shares, Outstanding (shares)						276,000,000									276,000,000
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity						$ 2,547	2,240	(73)		$ 0	4,714				$ 2,547		2,240	(73)
Special voting shares outstanding										0
Noncontrolling interest									0
Partners' Capital Account, Units														0		0
Partners' Capital														$ 0		$ 0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	4,714
Net income (loss) attributable to ordinary shares	377
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0
Net income (loss)	377
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Acquisitions						112,000,000				23,000,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions		$ 15,438	$ 0		$ 3,140	$ 15,438			3,140	$ 0
Issuance of ordinary shares in connection with equity incentive plans						10,000,000									2,000,000
Issuance of ordinary shares in connection with equity incentive plans, value	295					$ 295					72				$ 72
Share-based compensation	690					690					690				57	633
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation	89					89					89				$ 23	$ 66
Cash dividends declared and paid to ordinary shareholders	(716)						(716)				(122)						(122)
Cash distributions declared and paid to noncontrolling interest holders	(34)								(34)
Partners' Capital Account, Units, Acquisitions														23,000,000		112,000,000
Partners' Capital Account, Acquisitions												$ 15,438	$ 3,140	$ 3,140		$ 15,438
Partners' Capital Account, Units, Converted															(278,000,000)	278,000,000
Partners' Capital Account, Exchanges and Conversions															$ (2,699)	$ 5,194	(2,495)
General Partners' Capital Account, Period Distribution Amount											(594)					(594)
Limited Partners' Capital Account, Distribution Amount														(34)
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions											(628)
Fair value of partially vested equity awards assumed in connection with the acquisition of Emulex Corporation	182					$ 182
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, General Partner Transaction											405					405
Other comprehensive (income) loss, pension and other postretirement benefit plans, adjustment, net of tax	(61)							(61)			(61)							(61)
Net income (loss) attributable to ordinary shares	(1,739)						(1,739)									$ (2,116)	377
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	122								(122)					$ (122)
Net income (loss)	$ (1,861)										(1,861)
Ordinary Shares, Shares, Outstanding (shares)		278,000,000
Ordinary Shares, Shares, Outstanding (shares)		390,000,000
Ordinary Shares, Shares, Outstanding (shares)	398,281,461			390,237,855		398,000,000									0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 18,892					$ 19,241	(215)	(134)		$ 0					$ 0		0
Special voting shares outstanding	22,804,591									23,000,000
Noncontrolling interest	$ 2,984								2,984
Partners' Capital Account, Units														23,000,000		390,000,000
Partners' Capital											21,876			$ 2,984		$ 19,026		(134)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	21,876
Issuance of ordinary shares in connection with equity incentive plans						10,000,000
Issuance of ordinary shares in connection with equity incentive plans, value	257					$ 257
Exchange of restricted exchangeable partnership units						1,000,000
Exchange of restricted exchangeable partnership units, value						$ 86
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Redemptions or Purchase of Interests									(86)
Cancellation of Special Voting Shares										(1,000,000)
Share-based compensation	921					$ 921					921					$ 921
Cash dividends declared and paid to ordinary shareholders	(1,653)						(1,653)
Cash distributions declared and paid to noncontrolling interest holders	(92)								(92)
Partners' Capital Account, Units, Converted					1,000,000											1,000,000
Partners' Capital Account, Exchanges and Conversions																$ 86
Partners' Capital Account, Units, Redeemed														(1,000,000)
Partners' Capital Account, Redemptions														$ (86)
General Partners' Capital Account, Period Distribution Amount											(1,756)					(1,756)
Limited Partners' Capital Account, Distribution Amount														(92)
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions											(1,848)
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, General Partner Transaction											257					257
Other comprehensive (income) loss, pension and other postretirement benefit plans, adjustment, net of tax	43							43			43							43
Net income (loss) attributable to ordinary shares	1,692						1,692									1,692
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	(92)								92					92
Net income (loss)	1,784										1,784
Stockholders' Equity, Other	$ 0									$ 0
Ordinary Shares, Shares, Outstanding (shares)	408,732,155			390,896,843		409,000,000									0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 20,285					$ 20,505	(129)	$ (91)		$ 0					$ 0		$ 0
Special voting shares outstanding	22,145,603									22,000,000
Noncontrolling interest	$ 2,901								2,901
Cumulative effect of new accounting principle	50						$ 47		$ 3					$ 3		$ 47
Partners' Capital Account, Units														22,000,000		391,000,000
Partners' Capital											$ 23,083			$ 2,901		$ 20,273		$ (91)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 23,186